Duskworld

We’re going for a gothic horror setting here, so naturally a palpable fear permeates the land, largely for reasons detailed below, but suffice it to say that things aren’t pretty.

Duskworld is beset by the undead. Animated cadavers shuffle mindlessly in packs, seeking to devour the flesh of the living, and between a pervasive necromantic presence and the diligent pursuits of some rather creative individuals, an undisturbed corpse is a rare blessing.

The incorporeal spirits of the dead take many forms. They can be harmless, even protective spirits who haunt the living out of a sense of duty, fealty, responsibility, or love. Or they can be specters of revenge and cruelty, appeased only by mortal offerings.

It’s a lonely life, being alive. Given that the usual difficulties faced by inhabitants of the “Standard Fantasy Setting” are already rather daunting, adding “undead-” to everything creates an even darker points-of-light. Beyond the continental shelf of Nordvia upon which you find yourselves, little to nothing is known about the world.

Divine might has failed, or so many claim. Following the catastrophic collapse of an ancient theocracy, the “civilized” regions of Nordvia are presently governed by a council of Druids, in turn overseen by the dragon empress Auriastra . Their power is contested by opportunistic Merchant Houses and of course the various irate churches, making it difficult for them to even simply keep their people safe.